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A Labour amendment for mandatory sex and relationship education in schools is being debated in the House of Lords this evening.

Peers are considering an amendment to the Children and Families Bill, which would make sex education, including lessons on same-sex relationships, compulsory across state-funded primary and secondary schools.

The Conservative MP said: “Teachers are best placed to understand the needs of their pupils and do not need additional central prescription.”

Ahead of Tuesday’s debate in the Lords, the Department for Education said that teachers already have the “freedom to tailor their teaching so it meets the needs of their pupils”.

Writing on the Telegraph website, Yvette Cooper said: “Although both the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have spoken of the importance of equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of sex and relationships in a digital age, the government continues to drag its feet on this issue.

“The Education Secretary, Michael Gove is still refusing to listen to calls for change from parents, teachers, young people and organisations”.

The Department for Education announced it would be working on “new advice produced by experts groups”, which will be emailed to all headteachers to use in conjunction with the existing teaching materials.

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